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PHE : VAPING IS MORE THAN NRT PROMISES
Latest PHE report once again backs vaping over patches and gum
Words : Gordon Stribling
E-cigarettes are both the most popular and the most successful stop-smoking aid in England . That was the takeaway from Public Health England ’ s seventh vaping report , which reviewed the evidence supporting vaping for smoking cessation as well as youth use statistics and data on people ’ s perception of risk . The report , carried out by researchers at King ’ s College London ( KCL ), found that : – in 2020 , nicotine e-cigarettes were the most popular stop smoking aid ( 27.2 percent ), compared to 18 percent for nicotine replacement therapy and 4.4 percent for prescription medication , – it is estimated that in 2017 , more than 50,000 smokers successfully quit with the aid of an e-cigarette who would have not otherwise done so and – using an e-cigarette in conjunction with local stop smoking services support demonstrated success rates of between 59.7 percent and 74 percent in 2019 and 2020 . Professor John Newton , Director of Health Improvement at PHE , said : “ Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease – killing almost 75,000 people in England in 2019 . The best
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